Minnesota Plant Life, 203 



which rises in sinuous coils through the water, bringing the 

 flower just to the surface. The staminate flowers are in clus- 

 ters on a short stem deep down in the water. When they are 

 nearly ripe they separate from the stem and rise to the surface, 

 where they open, revert their perianth leaves and are free to be 

 blown about on the quiet surface of the pool like so many min- 

 iature boats. Some of them thus approach the pistillate flowers 

 and the pollen-spores can fall upon the stigmas where they ger- 

 minate. After pollination the long, coiled stem contracts and 

 pulls the pistillate flower down into the depths where it may 

 ripen its fruit in safety. The fruit itself is a cylindrical capsule 

 with numerous seeds. 



In near affinity to the eel-grass is a little plant which is some- 

 times called ditch moss or water weed and is known by its short 

 leaves of a crisp texture when taken from the water. The leaves 

 are opposite, rather close together and commonly not more than 

 half to three-quarters of an inch in length. Their points are 

 often turned back so that a characteristic appearance is given 

 to a branch. 



